


The One Where...

by AvaHasAClosetMurderBoard



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F, More Thasmin? Heck ya, My one shot dumping bin, oops my hand slipped
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-08-19 12:45:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 17,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16534838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvaHasAClosetMurderBoard/pseuds/AvaHasAClosetMurderBoard
Summary: A series of connected and disconnected Thasmin one-shots. Rated T for Tea At Yaz's.





	1. The one where Thirteen has no game whatsoever, Yaz is confused and the boys are just dying in the background

**Author's Note:**

> This first one was supposed to be a small drabble but I blinked and suddenly I had almost 5 pages.  
> (It's not beta'd btw so sorry for fail late night grammar.)

**1\. The one where Thirteen has no game whatsoever, Yaz is confused and the boys are just dying in the background**

 

What started off as a regular, early morning in the Tardis kitchen for Ryan and Graham soon became a series of unfortunate disasters. The Doctor came rushing in still clad in ridiculous blue pyjamas, eyes wild and sporting terrible bed hair. She stopped in front of the small table where they were sat at and scanned the area, like she was making sure the coast was clear. The boys shared a look; something wasn't right.

 

“Is everything alright, Doc? You look a bit... Out of it.”, Graham asked, “Bad night?”

 

“No, I'm fine. Totally fine, just...Peachy? Yes, peachy. Wait, no... I'm not fine. I actually need both your help.” The Time Lady plopped down on a chair, her face completely serious. She rested her palms on the table top, her gaze switching between the two companions. “You two are human males, right?”

 

Ryan let out a laugh. “Last time I check, ye'.”

 

“Great! Then you can surely help me out here.” She beamed for a moment before she turned dead serious again. “How do you ask a girl out?”

 

Graham spat out the tea he had been sipping on, breaking into a fit of coughs as Ryan gently patted his back. The Doctor raised her eyebrows in confusion. “What? Is it a weird thing to ask about?”

 

“Kinda!” The older man let out, still trying to regain control over his breathing.

 

A frown. “Why?”

 

“What Graham means is that we weren't expecting that kinda question from you.”, when she made a face he quickly added, “Not because you're a woman, but because you're you, you know? The Doctor. You know everything there is to know.”

 

“Fair point but I don't know everything. I don't know how to ask someone out, for example. And that's why I thought I should ask you boys since you're my _'fam'_.”

 

The older man seemed to have recovered from the surprise question. “Wouldn't you feel more comfortable discussing this with Yasmin instead? You can have some 'girl time' together, talking about boys and all that.”

 

She bit her lip and anxiously began tapping her fingers on the table top. “I can't ask her for advice. Not her. Too weird? Yes too weird. Need to be you two.”

 

They shared a look. “Why would it be weird? Unless...”

 

“Unless what?”

 

“Oh. OH! You fancy her! You fancy Yaz!” Ryan let out suddenly, laughing.

 

“Don't be daft, the Doc clearly does not-”

 

“Shhh! Keep your voice down, do you want her to hear ya?! You are as bad as my Tardis.”

 

“Right, sorry. I'm just... surprised, that's all. Didn't see that one coming.” She gave him one hard stare. “Okay, maybe I did. But hey, if you like her maybe you should just tell her?”

 

“Google says I should first make sure she is interested. Or make her interested. The details were a bit odd though... One page said some species perform a courtship dance. There was also something about nest building. And hunting! Although that one I'm not sure it's appropriate, I'm not about to go into the woods to harm creatures.”

 

“What kind of pages were you looking at? National Geographic?”

 

“Maybe?”

 

Graham shook his head. “Now I see why you came to us for advice.” The young man nodded in agreement. “Don't worry, Doc, we will help you out.”

 

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

 

**Ryan's plan: The pick-up line**

 

Yasmin knew something was up the moment she crossed the threshold to the control room. She spotted Graham and Ryan hurled up in a corner, whispering among themselves. They stopped when they noticed her, their eyes bouncing between her and the Doctor, who was standing awkwardly by the controls reading a piece of paper over and over.

 

Something was really up.

 

Carefully she approached the other woman, raising an eyebrow when she caught sight of the huge grin adorning Ryan's face. Okay now she was absolutely sure he was up to no good. And the Doctor clearly was on it as well, since she hastily pocketed the note she had been busy looking at the moment she noticed Yasmin approaching.

 

“Yaz! So glad you're here. I have something important to ask. Very important in fact.” The Time Lady glanced over to the boys for a moment, nodding when she received a thumbs-up from both. “Did it hurt when you fell from heaven? Ryan told me to ask you. I tried to tell him heaven doesn’t exist but he didn’t listen to me. So let's hypothetically say that heaven does exist. Just so you can answer, of course. So... Did it hurt?”

 

_'You got to be kidding me.'_

 

Ryan let out an exasperated groan and facepalmed. “You're not supposed to say it like that...”

 

Graham just shook his head while Yasmin stared. Hard. This had to be a joke, right? No way the Doctor had just tried to use a pick-up line as lame as that on her. Or did she? Ryan clearly put her up to it, she realized, as they bickered back and forth about heaven and 'sticking with the script'. Well guess that explained the paper.

 

The _why_ behind it was what gave her pause.

 

So while the lot were distracted arguing between themselves, she slipped out of the room.

 

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

 

**Graham's plan: The direct approach**

 

After the entire fiasco with the pick-up line, the Doctor had grown more agitated. Yasmin would more often than not avoid eye contact between them and keep their conversations as short as possible, while also trying to keep a reasonable distance between them. Ryan just felt guilty and Graham... well he had just about enough of the nonsense going on.

 

One night, he made sure everyone but the Time Lady had retired for the night and approached her in the control room as she tinkered away with some metal scraps. He stood by her for a few minutes but she barely lifted an eye to acknowledge him, too focused on whatever she was trying to do.

 

He knew she was listening any way. “I am here to give you some sage advice.”

 

“Oh ya? Does it involve clothes on the floor? Ryan told me to try that one. Yaz almost hit me with a frying pan. Her face turned red and all. I think she was really angry. Not doing anything like that again, it's only making things worse.”

 

“Ryan's a good lad and I'm sure he meant well but his ideas were terrible. No wonder he's single, am I right?” The woman let out a small laugh at his words. “Ah there's the smile. Look, I know it's not my business but why don't you just tell her how you feel?”

 

Pausing on what she was doing, the Doctor turned her attention to him, eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. “How I feel? What do you mean?”

 

“You know...”, he gestured vaguely. “That you like her, that you think she's pretty... Something like that. Just be honest with her.”

 

“It can't be that simple.”

 

“Oh, but it is. People just like to complicate things, you know? And then you end up losing precious time with that special someone.” His voice became soft as he spoke. “Me and my Grace... We just found each other one day and I won her heart by being honest and showing her how much I cared.”

 

“And how exactly would I do that?”

 

“Just bloody talk to her, that's how.”

 

She seemed to consider his words for a moment, hand absently rubbing her chin. But just when he thought he had finally done it, her face scrunched up.

 

“What if she says no? What if she just leaves? Oh that's not good at all. I like to have Yaz around. I like you all around honestly. But I like her. Around I mean. Maybe she will think I'm weird and then wants to go home. No that's not good I can't have that.” She pushed herself up and started to pace around, words flying out of her mouth at an impressive rate.

 

Meanwhile Graham just stood there, face comically changing every now with different emotions: surprise, followed by confusion, amusement and then back to confusion. At some point he stopped being able to keep up with the ramblings of the Doctor and let out a sigh, muttered a _'my word'_ and walked away.

 

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

 

**The Doctor's plan: Graham's plan, only it wasn't**

 

The pancakes were cooked to perfection, a huge contrast with how much of a mess the entire kitchen was. Charred remains of burned batter littered almost every surface, along with ruined pans, odd twisted spatulas and broken egg shells. The floor was nearly completely covered in flour and something was definitely leaking down from the ceiling.

 

It looked like a tornado had passed by the area. Or a bad episode of Kitchen Wars had took place.

 

Yasmin could barely believe her eyes when she stepped foot in the room, eyebrows raised to the hairline. At first she assumed Ryan had tried to cook, until she spotted the Doctor among the wreckage, proudly holding a plate of pancakes. She beamed at her and extended the food, eyes obscured by some ridiculous goggles and cheeks covered with dry batter on spots.

 

She had to blink a couple of times and felt the urge to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. But as minutes passed and nothing changed, she realized this was very real.

 

So she did what anyone else would have done: she started to laugh. Hard.

 

An indignant noise escaped the Time Lady's lips at the sight of her companion literally doubling over, holding her stomach as she laughed. She honestly didn't know if she should have felt offended by the reaction, until she realized just how ridiculous the entire scene looked like and how absolutely adorable Yaz looked, eyes tearing up from all the laughter.

 

Minutes passed as she watched the other woman, her mind completely devoid of everything but Yaz.

 

“I love you, Yasmin Khan.”

 

The words came rolling down her tongue before could even think about it. The young woman immediately froze on the spot, eyes wide and mouth slightly parted in surprise. Had she just misheard the Doctor?

 

“What did you say?”

 

“I said that I love you.” The Time Lady gently placed the plate down on the small table and pushed the goggles off her face, her hazel eyes warm and soft. “I've been meaning to tell you that for a while. But I didn't know how. Google was unhelpful so I asked the boys. And well, Ryan's idea was terrible. Then Graham came to talk to me. And then thoughts of you leaving came rushing in and no more Yaz and no more tea at Yaz and -”

 

“Why would I leave?”

 

“Why wouldn't you?”

 

Yasmin took a tentative step towards her. “Have you considered that maybe I like it here?”

 

“Even with-”

 

“ _Especially_ with you.” She came to stand face to face with the Doctor, reaching up to wipe some batter and flour off her cheek. “Even if you ramble nonsense most of the time and ask Ryan of all people for advice.”

 

 

That got a chuckle out of the older woman. “That wasn't my finest idea.”

 

“Just promise me next time you'll talk to me instead of asking the boys. Or googling it. _'How to court a female'_ and _'how do you know if a girl likes you'_ didn't seem to produce many useful results.”

 

A chuckle. “Guess not. But I learned a thing or two about earthly bird habits.”

 

 


	2. The one where Ryan feels something in the air one night and it turns out to be Elton John

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yaz and the Doctor are nowhere to be found one night. Ryan solves the mystery.

**2\. The one where Ryan feels something in the air one night and it turns out to be Elton John**

 

Something was wrong that night. When you're travelling with a small group for a reasonable amount of time, you start to notice patterns in their daily lives. For example, Graham liked to have his afternoon tea precisely at five o'clock British time; Yasmin fancied spending most of her time in the library going through the old volumes; and the Doctor was _always_ on the control room somehow, tinkering away with random metal parts and wires, while eating custard cream cakes.

 

So on that particular night when Ryan was feeling too restless to sleep after their last adventure, he padded his way into the control room of the Tardis to talk to the only person he knew would still be awake. Only he found it completely empty. _Odd._

 

He checked the entire area, looking underneath the floor panels and every other spot she may have wiggled herself into. Nothing. His eyes paused on the sight of her goggles lazily hanging over a lever and wires sticking out from an open panel, like she had left mid work.

 

Something was definitely wrong for sure.

 

Turning on his heel, he rushed through the dim lit halls, until he reached the door to Yasmin's room. She and the Doctor were like BFFs this days, always chatting away and sticking together whenever they went to a new place, laughing and hugging like they knew each other for years instead of only a few weeks.

 

If something was wrong with the Time Lady, Yaz would know.

 

A few knocks later and all he got was silence. He put his ear to the door, after calling her name a couple of times. Still nothing. Was she so deep asleep she didn't hear him? Knowing her it was highly improbable, as he recalled all the times she grumpily dragged herself into the kitchen every morning complaining just how _'absolutely loud'_ the Tardis was and how was a person _'supposed to have a good night sleep'_ in it.

 

Now that he thought about it, the complains had stopped recently and she had even started to show up every morning a tad later than usual, with a smile on her face.

 

 _That_ gave him some pause.

 

The Doctor and Yasmin were both missing.

 

Ryan's lips split into a ridiculous grin for a moment, nodding to himself. Then he shook his head, face suddenly serious.

 

No way that would be the case. And if that was not the case, that meant both women were somehow missing. He decided the best thing to do would be to wake Graham up, explain the situation and maybe together they could figure something out to solve the mystery.

 

But on his way to the old man's room, he somehow passed the library. He stopped when he noticed the door was slightly ajar, a faint light coming from inside. Maybe Yaz couldn't sleep and went there to read, he reasoned.

 

He placed a hand on the door and slowly pushed it open and what he found inside gave him all the answers he needed.

 

On the ridiculously large, ridiculously purple couch they had hurled inside the Tardis was the Doctor. And she wasn't alone.

 

Yasmin had her head comfortably placed on the older woman's chest as they laid together, draped in each other's arms under a soft looking blanket. And while she looked peacefully asleep, the Time Lady was wide awake, hand gently threading through soft dark tresses in slow, soothing motions.

 

The scene before him felt so intimate and private that he immediately felt guilty for intruding, especially when the Doctor's hazel orbs found him standing by the door. Her eyes immediately went wide and her hand paused, mouth opening and closing a few times. It reminded him of a child who had just been caught with their hand on the cookie jar.

 

“It's not what it looks like.” She whispered, voice cracking slightly. “She fell asleep on me. We were just kiss- talking! Yes, talking. She got sleepy. I thought it would be rude to wake her up.”

 

He smiled brightly at her, keeping his voice down. “Riiiight. Don't worry Doctor, your secret is safe with me.”

 

She opened her mouth, no doubt ready to start rambling about how it wasn't what it looked like; but he knew better. A zipping motion across his lips, pretending to lock them and throwing the imaginary key away got her to flash him a warm smile, her eyes going back to the woman in her arms.

 

Bidding a silent _'goodnight'_ , Ryan pulled the door closed as gently as possible until he heard it click shut. He shook his head, letting out a quiet chuckle when the first thing that crossed his mind was the song _'Can You Feel the Love Tonight'_.

 

Turns out something was not wrong that night; something was actually pretty right.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never wrote so much for a pairing in such a short amount of time. Does that make me certified Thasmin trash?  
> I blame the discord fam for it. Keep those prompts coming, my body is ready.


	3. The one where Yasmin is terrified but the Doctor is there for her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yasmin gets scared and the Doctor is there to comfort her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay first of all: Don't. Ignore. This. Note. There's a TRIGGER WARNING for PANIC ATTACK in this chapter so if you're not comfortable reading about it, PLEASE DON'T. 
> 
> If you're fine with it, go ahead and enjoy another trash chapter by yours truly. It's not beta'd and it's midnight so I apologize for any mistakes and random shenanigans you may encounter. 
> 
> ALSO I've been called 13 "Time Lady" and that's not correct so I have fixed it for this chapter.

**3\. The one where Yasmin is terrified but the Doctor is there for her**

 

The planet they had landed on was busting with activity. Nearly endless rows of stalls with different foods and drinks filled the side of the roads. The buildings, as tall as the eye could reach, had all sorts of different shops, from jewellers to clothiers. Each floor had a huge glass like window with fancy displays, neatly organized and sorted by store name.

 

“Marketing at its finest”, the Doctor explained as they emerged out of the empty alley where the Tardis had materialized, pointing at the building directly across the street from them. “It allows costumers to check their stuff from the outside. If they're interested, they go inside; otherwise they'll keep moving to the next building. Saves time. And time is money, or so I heard.”

 

“So this entire planet is basically just a giant shopping mall?”, Yasmin asked as she took in their surroundings with wide eyes.

 

The Time Lord gave the younger woman a warm smile. “Sort of. Pretty cool, right? I thought it would be nice for us to take a break. And since we're here, mind as well get some nice stuff.”

 

Ryan snorted, crossing his arms above his chest. “I'm not much for shopping but I guess we can take a look around. Just don't expect me to run after you lot into every single store in this place.”

 

“I have to agree with him on this one.” Graham noted, eyebrow raised as he scanned the tall buildings all around them. “Think I'll just stay put; you girls go and have fun.”

 

“Oh, that's really a shame...” The blonde woman spoke in a very conspicuous voice as she dug into her coat pockets, pulling put three identical silver cards. “I've got this babies filled with some credits so you could all get something nice. You know, for the troubles you've been through and all. But if you rather stay at the Tardis...”

 

“On second thought, I think this was a great idea.”

 

“You know what, I've been wanting to try some new teas. Maybe I will take a quick look around.”

 

Both men immediately reached to take a card from the Doctor's hand, disappearing into the crowd not even a minute later, after agreeing to meet back at the same spot before sunset. Yaz just shook her head at their antics, smiling brightly when the older woman extended the last silver card towards her. Their fingers touched as she reached for it, her mind immediately going blank. It's not that she hadn't touched the other woman's hands before; she recalled multiple instances where the Time Lord had grabbed and subsequently held her hand as they ran from danger.

 

Not to mention that odd day she had asked Yaz to paint her nails.

 

The problem was that she was starting to feel _things_ she knew she shouldn't feel and every touch only served to intensify it.

 

So when she blinked and noticed the Doctor looking at her expectantly, an eyebrow raised in concern, did she realize they had been awkwardly standing there holding the card for god knows how long.

 

She was suddenly glad the other companions hadn't been there to witness her embarrassment as she finally took the card from the other woman and cleaned her throat. “Sorry about that, spaced out for a sec.”

 

“It's alright. Something on your mind? I've been known to be a great listener. A good problem fixer too, actually. So whatever it is, I may be able to help you.”

 

“Nothing worth mentioning. I'll see you later, Doctor.”

 

Yasmin gave her a tight smile, turned on her heel and disappeared into the crowd, leaving a very confused blonde behind.

 

**0o0o0o0o0**

 

The small shopping spree had taken longer than Yaz had expected it to. In her haste to put as much distance as she could between herself and The Doctor, she had walked further than intended, ending up in a district full of perfumeries. The different smells drew her in like a drug; when she finally came to her senses again the sun had long set and she was carrying a somewhat full bag with all kind of perfumes and oils.

 

Immediately she ran down the surprisingly empty street, mentally cursing herself for not paying attention to the time. But again and judging by the absurd amount of stuff she had bought, she may have been under some sort of weird spell or mind control.

 

When you travel with the Doctor, this things pass for normal occurrences.

 

_The Doctor._

 

Yasmin began to wonder just how worried and upset she must be. The boys showing up late? Normal. Herself? Not so normal. She was always the first one to show up back at the Tardis whenever they were allowed to go out and explore on their own, mostly so she could spend some time alone with the Time Lord before the others came back. Sometimes she wouldn't even go anywhere in the first place.

 

But now it was dark and she was beyond late. So she rushed her pace, coming to an abrupt stop at the end of the street, eyes wide as she surveyed her surroundings.

 

The plaza was completely packed and she had to cross it.

 

She took a deep breath.

 

There were no markers she could hold onto the moment she entered the crowd, the buildings around all the same shade of dark purple, completely windowless. She could try and walk in a straight line, but that idea went out of the window the moment she started to twist and turn to dodge others. Approaching the food stalls and walk along them was also impossible, with the amount of aliens queued up to grab food and drinks.

 

When she reached a spot where the crowd became thicker, towering over her and completely blocking her vision of the buildings and the rest of her surroundings, she froze. Eyes wide and breath catching in her throat, she tried to search for something to hold on to, something she could use to guide herself out of it.

 

The only thing she could see was the starless dark sky above.

 

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, followed by another and another. When she opened them, she was back there again.

 

_She must have been four or five years old at the time, when her parents took her to see the carnival that had arrived in town a few days prior. It was a Saturday afternoon, so most of the people in town were there. She held her mom's hand tight, like she had been told to do the moment they stepped foot on the busy grounds. Something had caught her eye when her parents were deep in conversation with a neighbour, so she wandered off towards it. And when she realized she was surrounded by strangers and couldn't see her parents, she had panicked._

_They had found her an hour or so later, hurdled in a small corner crying._

 

The moisture in her eyes grew until there were tears streaming down her face. Some aliens gave her a weird look, but made no move to check if she was okay.

 

_'Just like those adults at the carnival.'_

 

She felt the air being sucked out of her lungs, limbs growing weaker until she could barely stand; she felt the urge to sit on the dirty cobblestones but there was no space. She dropped the bag she was holding; she felt trapped.

 

Just when she had closed her eyes and braced for the worst, a hand tugged on her free arm and spun her around, her body crashing against another. Before she could fully register what was happening, gentle arms wrapped around her on a comforting hold, not tight enough that she would feel trapped nor loose enough that she would risk falling.

 

The familiar voice on her ear nearly made her sob.

 

The Doctor whispered soft reassurances, her voice calm and soothing. One hand rubbed small circles on the younger woman's back while the other steadied her against her chest. So close they were that she could feel the Time Lord's two heartbeats beating at steady rhythm, her own racing in her chest.

 

Her arms came to lamely wrap themselves around the other woman's waist as she tried to get her breathing back under control. A gentle kiss was placed on her forehead then, the hand that had been steadying her moved up to her hair, fingers threading through her tresses.

 

They stayed like this for as long as it took her to calm herself down; and when she finally felt a tab more relaxed, Yaz pushed herself slightly away and found hazel eyes watching her with such understanding and care that it took everything she had to avoid crying again.

 

She opened her mouth to start apologizing but the blonde shook her head. “None of that, alright? There's no need to. I'm here and you're safe, that's all that matters. I'm not going to make you tell me why this happened, unless you want to. Or need to talk about it.” A warm hand moved to caress her companion's cheek, gently wiping away stray tears. “Tell me when you're ready and we'll walk back to the Tardis. Until then we stay like this.”

 

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

 

“Because you would have done the same for me. And because I love you. I love you, Yasmin Khan. All of you.”

 

**0o0o0o0o0**

 

Later when they made their way through the crowd, the Doctor's hand holding hers, she realized she wasn't afraid any more.

 

 


	4. The one where Graham wished he hadn't been involved in AT ALL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternative title: The one where Graham gets booby-trapped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm blaming this chapter on the Thasmin Discord late night musings about Thirtheen and bras.
> 
> Sorry not sorry? 
> 
> (P.s.: I was wheezing the entire time I was writing. Hopefully you'll be too!)

**4\. The one where Graham wished he hadn't been involved in AT ALL**

 

There was a glint of something dangerous in her eyes when she blocked his exit from the kitchen. Graham took a step back; she took one forward, mirroring him. He raised a questioning eyebrow but she just kept watching him, like a predator watched his prey.

 

He swallowed.

 

A thought crossed his mind but he resisted the urge of calling the others for help, when he noticed the tilt in her head the moment he made to open his mouth. He kept walking backwards slowly, one hand outstretched in front of him while his other still held the steamy cup of tea he had prepared a minute earlier.

 

When his back hit the wall, the Doctor advanced over him and stood close, successfully trapping him.

 

_'Well guess this how I die...'_

 

Her face was dead serious as she spoke. “You've been married before. To a woman.”

 

 _Was she for real?_ He nodded quickly.

 

“Good 'cuz I need your help. With women stuff. I need to buy a bra. A really nice one.”

 

Graham almost choked on air. “Wait, _what_? You corner me in the kitchen like this,” he gestured with his free hand to the little space between them, “looking like you're about to rip me in half... To ask for my help about...” He trailed off, clearly refusing to speak the word.

 

“Bras.”

 

“Yes, that.”

 

She put some space between them and frowned. “Sorry about that, Graham. But I'm pretty desperate right now! And desperate times call for desperate measures!”

 

“First of all, don't go corner people like that again. I honestly thought I was done for! And second, wouldn't it be better to ask Yaz about this stuff? She's a girl.”

 

The Doctor scrunched up her face adorably. “Can't ask her.”

 

“And why is that?”

 

“It's supposed to be a surprise, of course! You see, Yaz wears all this really nice colourful bras...”

 

“I really didn't need to know this.”

 

“... and I don't because I don't really understand how those contraptions are even supposed to feel comfortable...”

 

“I didn't need to know that either!”

 

“But I wanted to get one. For her. As a surprise! But I don't know the first thing about shopping for bras. So I need your help!”

 

Graham eyed her oddly. “And what makes you think that _I_ know something about it?”

 

“You've been married. To a woman. So you must have came in contact with bras before. I was going to ask Ryan but you seemed the most qualified for the job from the two.”

 

“I can't even begin to think how is that supposed to make sense.”

 

The Doctor gave him the biggest, most adorable puppy eyes she could muster. “Does that mean you'll help? I didn't hear you say no. That wasn't a no, right? Please? Help a Time Lord out?”

 

“... Alright...”

 

She beamed. “Yes! I knew I could count on you, Graham! You get ten points for saying yes. I'm keeping score, you know? You're a good dude!”

 

Flashing him a bright smile, the blonde turned on her heel and skipped out of the kitchen, ranting on about how she was going to pull out a few nice catalogues they could look at to find the perfect bra. The man just sighed and shook his head.

 

_'Just what did I get myself into...'_

 

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

 

By a few catalogues, the Doctor actually meant a huge pile of them. They were scattered all around her living quarters, covering almost every surface. And they ranged from different stores, different centuries and even different planets.

 

Graham was honestly starting to regret his decision.

 

“I gathered different ones to make sure we have options. And that we can find the perfect one!”

 

“I can see that... A bit of an exaggeration just for an item, don't you think?”

 

“Nonsense!” She knocked over a few papers from a chair and patted the cushion. “Take a sit and we'll start looking.”

 

He did as he was told and she smiled, shoving a small pile of catalogues into his arms before taking a seat nearby. The older man shook his head, mentally preparing himself for what was coming. Thankfully the first few were okay, just pictures of different bras in different colours with no models whatsoever. But then he opened one from a planet with a name so long he couldn't even believe it was a real thing and he almost fainted on the spot.

 

Hastily he threw the paper as far away from him as possible and shivered. The Doctor raised her eyes from the catalogue she had been searching through and gave him a look.

 

Some things were honestly better if they had remain unseen.

 

“I think we should stick to human catalogues only.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Unless Yaz suddenly grew six tentacles, I doubt she will ever need one of those things...”

 

The Time Lord tilted her head, looking confused. “Yaz? Why would you think we're looking at stuff for Yaz?”

 

Now was his turn to be confused. “You said you wanted to get one for her. As a surprise?”

 

“Oh, right. Well it is a surprise for her. But she's not going to wear it.”

 

He was almost afraid to ask. “Who is then?”

 

“Me.”

 

“Why would you wearing one of this things would be a surprise to- OH. Oh my days! You and Yaz?!”

 

“Me and Yaz, yes. I thought you knew. Ryan knows.”

 

“He does?! Why am I the last one to know about it?!”

 

She shrugged. “No idea. Maybe you were never lucky enough. To see us. Kissing. And other things.”

 

“I think I am very lucky to have missed it.”

 

Her eyes narrowed. “What's that supposed to mean?”

 

“I didn't mean it like that, Doc.” He paused, letting out a breath. “Look I'm happy for you two, I really am. But next time you need help for something like this, please just... Ask Yaz, alright? Make it a... Couple's thing. Picking it together and such.”

 

“Oh that could be fun! Picking it together. Ya we could do that. Thanks Graham!”

 

Before he had a chance to reply, she had gathered a few catalogues in her arms and ran out of the door, papers flying in her awake. He shook his head and got up, making his way to the door until his foot caught on something that had been laying on the floor next to the Time Lord's bed.

 

It was a bra.

 

He had never bolted out of a place so fast.

 


	5. The one where the Doctor keeps falling asleep everywhere and Yaz takes matters in her own hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 13: I'm not tired!  
> Yaz: *aggressively clinging* YES YOU ARE NOW SLEEP!

**5\. The one where the Doctor keeps falling asleep everywhere and Yaz takes matters in her own hands**

 

At first, it had been absolutely hilarious for the companions to find the Doctor asleep in the control room. They had never seen her go to bed or mentioning being tired at all, even after going through exhausting adventures. So of course, finding the Time Lord like that, her blonde hair everywhere and a little bit of drool on the corner of her mouth, with her body precariously leaning onto the controls had been unexpected, to say the least.

 

Ryan immediately pulled out his phone to document the rare event, while Yasmin just shook her head at him.

 

“You shouldn't do that. If it was you and we did the same, you'd be upset. Wouldn't you?” She reasoned.

 

“I guess...” He put his device back into his pocket and eyed the older woman warily. “Shouldn't we wake her up though? That can't be comfortable.”

 

Yaz nodded and slowly approached the Doctor, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. No response. She tried shaking her a bit next, calling her name. Still no response. The younger woman turned to the boys and made a worrying face, wondering if there was something wrong with the Time Lord. Ryan shrugged and gestured for her to try and shake the older woman a bit more vigorously; Graham had a different idea.

 

Placing both hands on either side of his mouth, he nearly shouted. “Oie, Doc!”

 

The result was instant.

 

The Doctor shot up, face slight red and marked with the outline of a few buttons. She looked around, eyes wide scanning for any sign of danger. When she found none, she frowned in confusion, hand absently going up to scratch at her cheek.

 

That was when it dawned on her what had happened. “Hm. Was I asleep? On the controls?”

 

“Yeah, you were.” Yaz spoke, amusement barely concealed in her voice. “Deeply asleep, by the looks of it. I tried to shake you awake and you didn't react.”

 

The blonde scratched the back of her neck and scrunched up her face. “Must have been really tired then. Won't happen again.”

 

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

 

It _did_ happen again.

 

The first couple of times, it had been harmless and the boys had been amused by it, much to Yasmin's dismay. She was slowly becoming more worried as time passed, but the Doctor kept shrugging off her concerns, laughing about the situation and passing it out as nothing.

 

But then the Time Lord fell asleep on the controls, hit the wrong buttons and the Tardis had ended up precariously balanced on top of The Great Pyramid of Giza.

 

And that was when Yaz had about enough.

 

Around bed time (for normal humans at least), she marched into the control room, grabbed the Doctor by her wrist and literally dragged the older woman towards her bedroom. Ryan filmed the entire thing while Graham had to rub his eyes and pinch himself, to make sure he wasn't imagining things. The Time Lord protested and tried to wiggle her hand free, but Yasmin kept an iron grip on it until they had entered the room; she then locked the door behind them and stopped in front of it, arms crossed above her chest.

 

Yasmin gave the Doctor a defiant glare, daring her to try and escape. The other woman just blinked.

 

“You have one mighty grip.”

 

“I'll take that as a compliment, thanks.” She motioned with her chin towards the double bed. “I think you should lay down.”

 

“Why? I'm not tired.” The older woman pouted and gave Yaz her best puppy eyes. “Why should I lay down when I'm not tired? That seems like a waste of time.”

 

She almost faltered; the blonde was just too adorable. But she was a woman on a mission after all; so she cleaned her throat and steeled herself. “ _You_ are tired. And _you_ will get in that bed and _you_ will sleep, even if I have to drag you myself.”

 

The Time Lord cocked an eyebrow. This was new. “Oh really?”

 

“Yeah, really.”

 

“I would like to see you try.”

 

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

 

Twenty minutes later, the Doctor was laying in bed half under the covers with a disgruntled Yasmin clinging to her. It took time, patience, struggle, lots of bargaining (on the blonde's part, which failed) and chases in circles but Yaz had finally managed to get the Time Lord to lay down.

 

She hadn't gone down easily; and even then she was still trying to break free.

 

“Will you stop that, Doctor? Just get some sleep.”

 

“I told you. Not tired. Now let me go I have stuff to do. Hear that?” There was no sound whatsoever. “Tardis is calling for me. She needs me in the control room.”

 

“Nice try but no.”

 

“Oh come on, Yaz!”

 

“Sleep. And stop wiggling, you're hard to cuddle like that.”

 

The Doctor stilled in her arms and only after a few moments of silence did Yasmin realize what she had just said.

 

_Well, shite._

 

“I didn't mean it like-”

 

“It's okay, Yaz. I understand.”

 

“Y-you do?”

 

“Of course! Must be hard to sleep without a cuddly teddy bear. I'll get you one, ya? But for now you have me. Hope that's good for now.”

 

The younger woman let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and nodded. Bless the Doctor's innocent mind.

 

 


	6. The one where Yasmin is there for the Doctor (And always will be)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I always knew you were special, Yasmin Khan. All those stars in the sky and you're the one who burns bright. I'm lucky to have you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay first of all, this is the smallest chapter I've written so far and probably the crappiest one. I've spent the day socializing, which left me completely drained but I still wanted to post something to keep up with my update schedule.
> 
> So apologies in advance for bad story writing, grammar mistakes, angst that no one asked for and feels. 
> 
> Minor warning for blood and evil aliens.

**6\. The one where Yasmin is there for the Doctor (And always will be)**

 

Yasmin found the Doctor outside in the gardens sprawled on the moist grass. The night air had a slight chill that carried the scent of wet dirt, that smell that lingers after the rain has passed. It was somehow poetic, she thought, that after the battle the sky had cleared.

 

They were in a planet somewhere that reminded her of medieval times, in a small kingdom somewhere surrounded by tall mountains. Upon arrival, a whirlwind of information had been dumped on the companions first by the Time Lord herself and then by knights who believed their coming _'in the eve of battle'_ had been foretold by some ancient prophecy.

 

And as that, they had been “invited” to stand by a Queen somewhere on higher ground and watch blood being spilled onto the fields below. And as if that hadn't been enough, they had been ushered inside the castle walls and forced to partake on celebrations of conquest.

 

How were they supposed to sit there, surrounded by all sorts of food and drink after what had transpired?

 

Ryan and Graham were trying to make an effort, bless them. The Time Lord had yet to make an appearance in the Great Hall, which slowly started to be seen as a sign of rebellion; so to fan out the flames, the boys explained the Doctor wasn't feeling well and that Yaz was actually about to check on her (she wasn't but of course they had noticed her glancing at the empty sit beside her on the table).

 

And that's how she had ended up outside.

 

Even in the silence of the night, she could still hear the screams of the fallen and the desperate pleas of the Doctor that had fallen on def ears. Yaz took a few steps closer until she was standing right next to the other woman, before she sat down on grass beside her. Now that she was closer, she noticed the blonde's eyes were glassy, like she wasn't there.

 

But she knew she had been acknowledged, something in the way the Doctor's body relaxed in her presence. Yaz had come to notice little things about the other woman as they spend more and more time together, like how she would touch her arm and let the contact linger a bit more than it should or how she seemed to have a special smile only for her. If she was being honest, she would mirror those things unconsciously; what it actually meant was a can of worms to open another day.

 

Minutes passed by with nothing but silence between them. Brown eyes scanned the area when the sound of heavy footsteps nearby filled the air, her gaze following a patrol guard passing by until his silhouette disappeared behind tall brush. She didn't dare to take her eyes off the foliage until his steps were drowned by the night.

 

When she finally looked back at the Doctor, she found the other woman carefully watching her. Yasmin opened her mouth to speak, but closed it almost immediately. There was so much she wanted to say, so much frustration and anger just begging to be let out. But she would have time for that later, after the dust had settled and they were back to the comfort and somewhat security of the Tardis.

 

What good would it do if she started to scream to the seven winds in the middle of the night, surrounded by beings who lacked understanding and compassion? Worst case scenario, she would land them all on the execution block. Best case scenario? There wasn't one.

 

A warm hand touched hers, breaking her out of her reverie. She watched, nearly breathless, as the Doctor gently rubbed her skin with the tip of her fingers before taking her hand in hers.

 

Her voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke. “I wish you hadn't see that. I wish none of you had. Senseless bloodshed. Lives lost for glory. For power. For greed. You should be witnessing acts of kindness, not acts of tyranny. I shouldn't have brought us here, I should have known this place was beyond saving.”

 

“You had no way of knowing, Doctor.”

 

“Hadn't I?” Her voice raised an octave. “I have a time machine, Yaz. When I saw how this would turn up, I should have known there was no way to stop it from happening. I thought maybe we could have made a different. Made things better. But instead we were forced to watch history take its course with our hands tied. Not even literally.”

 

“You saw something worth fixing and you gave it a try. It didn't work on this situation but it worked so many times before. Think about all the lives we saved together, all the lives _you_ saved in the past. Were you always sure things would work out every time you walked out of the Tardis?”

 

She shook her head. “No, not always.”

 

“And what did you do then? Did you walked back in and took off? Or did you marched straight into the problem and gave your absolute best to fix things right?”

 

“Look Yaz, I know you're trying to make me feel better but-”

 

“No _but's_. I've seen you walk into danger more times that I can't count, with little to no regard of yourself. And even when Ryan, Graham and myself are pretty sure a situation is hopeless, you don't give up; you keep going. And you know why? Because you can always see that faith glimmer of hope on everything and everyone. I admire that about you, among other things. And yes, things aren't pretty sometimes but if you lose hope, who will inspire change?”

 

The Time Lord squeezed her hand gently and blinked away tears, before giving her companion a small but warm smile. Her gazed moved to the starry sky above and lost itself in the shimmering lights.

 

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes until the Doctor spoke again, her words almost lost in the wind.“I always knew you were special, Yasmin Khan. All those stars in the sky and you're the one who burns bright. I'm lucky to have you.”

 


	7. The one where the Doctor lets Yasmin in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post Episode 7.  
> Alternative title: The one where again there's no hug and this author craved it so she wrote it????

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta'd, as usual :)))
> 
> Chapter 7 for episode 7? More likely than you think.  
> I planned on a tiny scene with these just hugging it out but my hand slipped and then this silly cat named Nemo interrupted me and nearly deleted the entire thing.  
> Nearly, but not quite. So enjoy this chapter full of feels.
> 
>  
> 
> P.s.: Also, come on! CAN THEY JUST HUG ALREADY? Please? No? Well too bad they're hugging now, AH. I win.

**7\. The one where the Doctor lets Yasmin in**

 

The small kitchen was quiet that night. The day had been a roller-coaster of emotions, from finding out what was wrong at Kerblam to inform a daughter her father was gone forever. The companions had barely said a word after returning to the Tardis, Graham immediately making his way to put the kettle on and make them all a nice cup of tea. The Doctor was unusually quiet as well, hazel eyes occasionally lingering on her female companion between the press of buttons and the pull of levers. Ryan noticed, of course he did; but he suspected that it had to do what Yasmin had revealed to the Time Lord: it could have been her gone, if it weren't for Dan.

 

So he let it go, no teasing remarks leaving his lips. He had followed Graham into the small kitchen shortly after, leaving the two women alone. Yaz leaned on a rail, watching the Doctor move about for a few minutes. The other woman was completely aware of the warm brown eyes on her, but refused to meet her gaze, instead busying herself with the console.

 

Minutes went by, the only sound the soft hum of the Tardis.

 

Yasmin reasoned that enough time had passed then. She had chosen to linger back a little longer, just in case the Time Lord wanted to talk to her about what had happened. But she gave no signs of wanting to chat at all, so Yaz didn't press and instead made her way out of the room, to meet up with the others. Perhaps the Doctor would talk to her when she was ready.

 

The four of them sat now in complete silence in the small kitchen, Graham and Yasmin sitting on one side, opposite of Ryan and the Doctor. The air was tense, to say the least. Everyone had already finished their tea except the older woman, who was aimlessly stirring the now cold liquid with a small spoon, clockwise. Her left elbow was on the table, face resting on her open palm, eyes focused on the cup in front of her. It was worrying to see her so speechless, so... not her. The companions exchanged glances between themselves and silently agreed that someone needed to have a conversation with the Doctor. And that someone should be Yasmin.

 

So the boys excused themselves and bid them a goodnight, hastily leaving the room and leaving the two women alone.

 

The Doctor had barely acknowledged their exit, gaze still lost on the faint orange liquid; but she had stopped stirring it. She moved the spoon out of the tea, clicked it two times on the rim of the teacup and then placed it down gently on the table, parallel to the cup. If the air wasn't so tense, Yaz would have made a joking remark about it; the Time Lord had some interesting quirks to her.

 

She allowed a couple of minutes to pass before she timidly spoke. “Doctor, do you want to talk about it?”

 

Hazel eyes finally met her gaze, but they seemed devoid of all light. “Want? No. Need? Probably. But I don't know what to say. Or where to start.”

 

Yaz's expression softened, eyes warm. “You can start by telling me how you feel.”

 

“Scared.” She let out almost immediately, both hands now resting on the table in front of her. “I could of lost you out there today.”

 

The honesty of the statement caught her completely off guard. She expected the Doctor to brush off her concerns, as she often did. Or change the subject, crack some sort of witty joke and wonder where they should go next on their adventures. But now there was a certain vulnerability to her gaze, like she trusted Yasmin enough to let her in and speak her mind. She felt privileged.

 

Yaz felt like something had shifted as well. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something felt different in this little bubble they were stuck in at that moment. Her gaze fell on the Doctor's hands and her own moved slowly and hesitant, hovering close but not quite touching. They had touched before and even held hands on different occasions, but this was different than when they were running from danger on some unknown planet. This felt more intimate, more personal. So she silently asked for permission, their eyes meeting once again.

 

The Doctor was the one who initiated contact, her warm hands reaching out to take Yaz's colder ones on her own. She gave them a little squeeze; the younger woman squeezed back, eyes gleaming when a small smile graced the Time Lord's lips.

 

“I'm here, Doctor.” She blurted out, heart racing in her chest. “I'm not going anywhere, I promise.”

 

“You can't promise that, Yaz.”

 

“As long as I have a saying in it, I can. I'll just be more careful from now on.” A pause. “Maybe stick close to you so you won't be as worried. If you fancy that.”

 

She let out a breath. “Sure. Sounds like a plan.”

 

They broke contact shortly after Yasmin let out a yawn. All the adrenaline from the day was now completely gone, leaving her drained and fit to collapse in bed. She threw an apologetic glance at the Doctor, but the other woman just smiled at her. They stood up at the same time and lingered on the doorway, exchanging goodnight wishes between small smiles.

 

But just as Yasmin was about to turn on her heel, the Time Lord leaned in and wrapped her arms gently around her companion's shoulders, in a gentle hug that surprised them both. The contact was brief but the warmth lingered, even after they both had parted ways; Yaz towards her bedroom and the Doctor back to the control room.

 

There was enough time to wonder what it all meant later. But for now, both could rest a little easier.

 


	8. The one where Najia thinks 'eyelash stuck in my eye' is code for something else

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternative title: Najia walks into the kitchen and Yaz wishes she had a hole to hide in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick thing that I wrote in thirty minutes. Short but hopefully enjoyable!
> 
> Not beta'd as usual.

**8\. The one where Najia thinks 'eyelash stuck in my eye' is code for something else**

 

Yasmin has no idea how it had happen. One minute she was putting the kettle on to make herself and the Doctor some tea; the next their bodies were nearly pressed together against the kitchen counter. The Time Lord's left hand was resting gently on her cheek, tilting her head up slightly, their faces so close their noses were almost touching. Her right hand had moved a second ago from her face to rest on the marble counter, effectively trapping her companion.

 

But that wasn't the worse of it. No, the problem wasn't that her eyes had drifted to the Doctor's lips and she was wondering how soft they would feel against hers. Or the fact that her heart was beating so fast she was sure the other woman could feel it. Or was it the Doctor's twin heartbeats? She couldn't tell any more.

 

No, the main reason of her distress was her mother, who had just walked into the flat, mouth instantly hanging open at the sight.

 

“It's not what it looks like.”, were the first words that instantly flew out of Yaz's mouth as she instantly moved away from the Time Lord, putting some respectable distance between them.

 

Najia just crossed her arms above her chest and cocked her head to the side, challenging. “Oh really? Then what were you two doing?”

 

“I got an eyelash stuck in my eye and I couldn't get it off so the Doctor offered to help. That's all, mum.”

 

Her face was burning and her palms were sweaty. Why was she acting so nervous? Nothing had happened. So why was her body overreacting like she had just been caught in a compromising position with her crush?

 

By the look on her mother's face, she guessed it was because she _had_ been caught in a compromising position. With the Doctor. Who was looking like a deer caught in the headlights, mouth opening and closing, eyes franticly glancing between both women.

 

And was that a slight blush on her cheeks?

 

Najia raised an eyebrow. “Is that what kids call it nowadays? An eyelash in the eye?”

 

“Mum, I'm serious, nothing like _that_ happened. Me and the Doctor are just friends. Right, Doctor?”

 

That seemed to break the Time Lord out of her stupor. “Yeah! Just friends, of course! Me and Yaz, just friends. The best of friends!”, the blonde replied too quick, eyes still wide and darting between the two humans.

 

The way she smiled at her at the end was anything but innocent and Yaz wished a hole would spawn underneath her feet at that moment and swallow her into the deeps of the earth.

 

“Ah, right. Just _friends_ , of course.” Her mother gave them a knowing smile. “Just next time you get an eyelash stuck in your eye, try not to have the Doctor remove it for you in the kitchen.” Yaz opened her mouth to protest but she continued. “I will put this bags away in the bedroom and when I come back, we can all sit down and have some tea.”

 

With one final glance she disappeared into the hallway, leaving the two women alone.

 

A beat passed before their gazes met. The Doctor's face immediately relaxed, a grin slowly spreading on her lips. Yaz raised an eyebrow; the Time Lord answered by sticking her index finger out, a tiny eyelash coming into view.

 

“At least I got it out.”

 

_'You got to be kiddin' me...'_

 


	9. The one where there is a goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's goodbye for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small angsty chapter as requested, I apologize in advance.   
> I'll write something full of fluff next to make up for it!
> 
> Not beta'd as usual and it's probably trash. You've been warned.

**9\. The one where there is a goodbye**

 

 

A sudden gust of wind, curtains billowing with crisp night air and a familiar silhouette shrouded in darkness. She is faintly aware just how late it is, the red angry glowing numbers on her night stand still no more than a blurred stain on her vision. She blinks a couple of times, brown eyes now clear from the haze of sleep; she pushes herself up and trains her gaze on the Doctor, who is still standing by the open window. Yasmin can barely see her face, the curtains casting dancing shadows on her features, blonde hair slightly askew.

 

She opens her mouth when her brain is desperate for answers, but ends up closing it when moonlight pours into the room. The Doctor's jaw is set, her dark eyes an enigma; she tilts her head, gaze flickering to the open window behind her, before returning to her companion. An involuntary shiver passes through Yaz's body and she doesn't know if it's the Time Lord or cold breeze that causes it.

 

At this point, it could have been both.

 

The older woman turns around then and that's when Yasmin is nearly sure she is going to leave; but the curtains settle down gently, the window clicks shut and the Doctor is still in the room. A few minutes pass and the room is suddenly bathed in shadow again, the thick clouds outside hiding the full moon from view. The silhouette by the window moves only then, the Time Lord turning around and taking the few steps that bring her just about Yasmin's bedside.

 

Their gazes meet for a moment and there's something odd about how the Doctor's eyes seem to shine in the low light that has Yaz reaching out for the light switch of her bedside lamp. But she never reaches it. A surprisingly warm hand grabs her own; she raises an eyebrow but the only reply she gets is a slight shake of head. And before she can even verbalize a question, soft lips capture her own.

 

It's not the first time they share a kiss; far from it.

They've kissed so many times under the dim orange glow of the control room, when Ryan and Graham were fast asleep somewhere in their rooms.

They've kissed so many times under unknown stars, when they stole a moment alone in some alien planet.

They've kissed so many times after a quick brush with danger left them with the need for reassurance.

 

But this time it felt different, like an array of emotions were being poured out for her to take in all at once. It was so overwhelming and intoxicating at the same time that she barely registered the warm hand on her waist, gentle fingers stroking the bare skin there before her mind went completely blank.

 

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

 

Echoes of soft whispers and loud gasps, a crescendo of different heartbeats and sheets rustling still filled her senses when morning came and she found the spot next to her empty and cold. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the twin dandelions resting on the pillow next to her, the very same ones that had adorned their hairs during the wedding. The flowers had been carefully interlocked and pressed inside an old book she had found on the Tardis library, after they had returned from their small adventure to her Nani's past. She faintly recalled showing them to the Doctor once, when they were lazily laying in bed one Sunday afternoon, the Time Lord gently holding them like they were the most precious thing in the universe, eyes shining with tears at just how sweet and thoughtful Yaz had been for keeping them.

 

And now they were laying abandoned on the spot the Doctor had occupied not even a few hours prior.

 

That was the moment when Yasmin was absolutely sure every touch and every kiss on her skin was a silent goodbye. She didn't even had to get up to be sure the Tardis was no longer parked outside her apartment building when a sudden text from Ryan lit up her phone screen.

 

_'She's gone.'_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Leave me in the silence  
> I'll let you cut me open"


	10. The one where Yasmin wished Graham hadn't been involved in AT ALL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A follow up on chapter 4, set after Graham got asked for help by the Doctor (read: booby trapped by the Doctor).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested by browniemad, here's a follow up on chapter 4 (the one where Graham got booby-trapped). I was going to write something different at first but we all know thirteen is a certified gay disaster. Hope this is enjoyable still! :)
> 
> This one is dedicated to Kat from the Thasmin discord because I promised her some fluff after the angst from the last chapter. <3

### 10\. The one where Yasmin wished Graham hadn't been involved in AT ALL

  


The first thing the boys noticed, after entering the Tardis for yet another adventure, was that the Doctor was more excited than usual, bouncing all over the place. A box from Kerblam sat next to her on the console, her bright eyes glancing at it every now and then with glee. Ryan raised an eyebrow when he noticed the package and the bubble wrap that was poking out of it.

  


“Hm... That's safe right? Like... It's not going to go _'kaboom'_ on us, is it?”

  


She shook her head, amusement plastered on her features. “Nah, it's not going to go _'kaboom'_.” She patted the box affectionately before continuing. “Very safe package. Very valuable too!”

  


“I thought they had shut down the place, at least until they get things fixed and sorted out.” Graham spoke, also raising an eyebrow at the package. “How did you even get them to deliver to you?”

  


“Oh! Well after the entire thing, I thought they kinda owed me a tiny favour. And I really needed this, you see? Very important stuff, this one. Matter of life and death.” The Doctor scrunched her face. “Okay maybe that was an overstatement; but still! I really needed what's inside.”

  


“So I'm guessing that's some important spare part for the Tardis then?”

  


“Oh, no. It's actually something for me, Ryan.” She patted the box again as she rambled on. “It took me a long time to find. Too many different colours and patterns and... formats? I guess that's the right word. So many choices of stores too! And I needed it to be absolutely perfect. You have no idea how many catalogues I had to go through to find this one!”

  


At the mention of catalogues, a shiver went down Graham's spine and he let out a shuddered breath. Both Ryan and the Doctor immediately turned their attention to him.

  


“Are you okay, Graham?”

  


“Yeah, just thought of something I rather not.” His eyes fell on his grandson and that was when he knew it was better to make a quick exit. No doubt the glint of curiosity in his eyes would lead to an awkward situation and Graham really didn't want to partake in it. “Carry on, you two. I'm going to grab a nice cup of tea and read the paper.”

  


He stalked out of room as fast as his feet would carry him and thanked every entity out there for his quick thinking. Ryan's voice sounded not even a minute later, part muffled by the soft humming of the Tardis, followed by the Doctor's...

  


Five minutes later, hurried steps echoed through the walls. Graham lifted his eyes from the newspaper to find a very embarrassed Ryan standing in the kitchen doorway, mouth opening and closing and eyes wide. The old man just burst out laughing, much to the chagrin of his grandson.

  


“Next time a little heads-up would be appreciated!”

  


“Where's the fun it that?!”

  


**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

  


Something was definitely off during that day, Yasmin noticed. The Doctor was constantly talking to herself and patting a Kerblam box while Ryan and Graham were keeping a respectable distance between them and the Time Lord, going as far as avoiding making eye contact with her. At first, she had assumed they were just worried about the bubble wrap after the entire issue at the Kerblam headquarters; but that didn't really justify why they refused to look the woman in the eye.

  


So the problem, she concluded, would be in whatever was inside the box. And knowing the Doctor like she did (and having come across some really disturbing catalogues from alien planets one day strewed all over the floor), she must have ordered something weird enough to frighten the boys. She thought about asking but decided against it multiple times, since every time she would approach the console the older woman would push the box behind herself and give her one of those warm smiles that made her legs turn into jelly.

  


The Doctor was clearly trying to keep her away from the box; but for what reason? Was it something for her? She dreaded to think it was, especially given the weird looks she kept receiving from both Ryan and Graham. She thought about asking them just exactly was in the package, but after unsuccessfully trying to corner a very skittish Ryan in the kitchen, she gave up on that idea. And trying to check herself was impossible. The Time Lord was nearly glued to it all day, going as far as dragging it along when she had to leave the control room.

  


She called it quits after supper. That week had been particularly tiresome at work, even though her superior still refused to give her anything more substantial than traffic duty. But between running from danger on some foreign planet and living in the real world for a few hours to hold down her job, there had been barely enough time for in-between breaks.

  


And so she had retired to her room earlier than usual, put her most comfy pyjamas on and sat in bed under the covers with a book she'd been meaning to read for a while.

  


Her quiet was interrupted by a familiar knock on the door about an hour later. She put her book down, eyebrow raised as a hand darted through the now slight ajar door and palmed at the wall until it hit the light switch. The room was shrouded in darkness for a second before a very flabbergasted Yasmin reached to turn the small bedside lamp on, casting the room in a soft warm orange glow.

  


The Doctor poked her head into the room then, a scowl on her face. “Aw, the lights should be all off... But this could work I guess.”

  


“Everything okay, Doctor?”

  


“Yes! Everything is just fine, Yaz. Now, be a dear and don't move from there. I got a little surprise for you.”

  


Before she even had the chance to open her mouth, the bedroom door was closed. She heard some shuffling around on the other side before the Doctor made her way inside again, slamming the door shut with her foot and leaning her body heavily against it. One of her arms was stretched upwards, fingers spread out against the wood; the other was limp at her side. Yasmin stood frozen in place as the Doctor's hand came up to take hold of her coat's zip (Yaz realized she had never seen her with it closed before) and swallowed loudly when the Time Lord gave her _the look_ that set her entire body ablaze.

  


In one swift movement the coat came open, revealing a really red and lacy bra with matching undies.

  


Yaz's mouth went dry at the sight, her eyes glued to the exposed skin. The coat was hastily discarded and the Doctor took small, calculated steps towards the bed, hips swaying as she moved. When she reached the bed, she all but crawled on top of it towards Yasmin, who unconsciously licked her lips. The Time Lord smirked at her before leaning forward and capturing her girlfriend's lips with her own on a hungry and messy kiss.

  


They made out like teenagers for what felt like an eternity, until the need for breath became too much to bare. Brown eyes darkened by lust met hazel bright ones, beckoning for more...

  


“Like what you see?” The Doctor whispered suddenly, pushing her chest forwards slightly, a wide smile on her lips when Yaz nodded hastily in reply. “Graham helped me pick it.”

  


And just like that the mood was gone.

  


“ _He did what now?_ ”

  


A few doors down Graham suddenly sneezed.

 


	11. The One Where there's a book and then there's a forehead kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor reads before she sleeps. Yasmin wishes she would stick to actual books.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This really small chapter was born from an headcanon that was shared on the discord, which I found absolutely adorable. So I had to go ahead and write it. Sadly it came out shorter than expected but I hope it's still cute and enjoyable.
> 
> Shout out to Amy and Gee for coming up with the idea and Charlie for cheering this on even though I think this chapter is crappy! :D 
> 
> (Not beta'd as always)

**11\. The One Where there's a book and then there's a forehead kiss**

 

Yasmin didn't take too long to realize that the Tardis liked to move rooms around. Sometimes her room was further away from the control room; sometimes closer. The pool would suddenly be the library. The kitchen kept being moved when Graham was just itching for a good cup of tea. The ship was very much alive, like the Doctor had said so many times before, and _she_ clearly had a sense of humour.

 

She remembers vividly having her room between Ryan and Graham's at the beginning of their adventures and the snores that would keep her awake long into the night. She also remembers complaining about it one morning and on that same night being rewarded with blissful silence. At first she thought the Tardis had made Graham's walls soundproof (a huge possibility) but when she padded out of her room and into the hallway, she noticed there was now a completely different door (and room) next to hers.

 

A quiet thank you to the Tardis left her lips and she went straight to bed, not thinking much of it.

 

In insight, the different door frame and Tardis blue colour should have given it away immediately. But only a few days later did realization finally hit, when she ended upstanding in front of the Doctor in the dim lit hallway, after both had agreed to turn in for the night at the same time.

 

Awkward laughs and good night wishes were exchanged then, Yasmin closing the door behind herself and willing her heart to stop beating _that_ fast. Of course falling asleep now that she was aware the Doctor was just next door was close to impossible. And her ears began to pick up little sounds, like soft murmurs and gentle thuds, before everything was silent.

 

And that's how she had ended up noticing a pattern.

 

Somewhere during the night, Yaz would hear a quiet _thud_ coming from the Doctor's room. At first she didn't give it much of a thought; but then realized it happened like clockwork, always between one or two hours after the Time Lord had turned in for the night. Her brain began then conjuring multiple scenarios, one more ridiculous then the other; until one morning she overheard a conversation between Ryan and the Doctor, where she suggested he try to read a bit before falling asleep like she did.

 

The mysterious _thud_ was a book. The Doctor would always fall asleep while she was reading a book. And said book would eventually end up tumbling out of the bed and hit the floor with a _thud._

 

With this new found knowledge, Yasmin began laying awake in bed until she heard that familiar noise, only then willing herself to close her eyes and falling asleep knowing the Time Lord was too.

 

It became a constant in her ever changing daily life... Until suddenly one day it stopped happening.

 

At first she assumed the Tardis had moved the rooms again, the ship always finding ways to mess with the Doctor and her companions (Ryan had spent almost an entire hour searching for his room once after he referred to the Tardis as a _it_ ).

 

But the familiar blue door was still next door to hers.

 

Yaz seriously doubted the woman had suddenly ran out of books, taking in consideration just how vast the library inside the ship was.

 

So the only logical explanation? The Doctor wasn't sleeping.

 

She started to watch her like a hawk, especially in the mornings when they all gathered in the small kitchen to enjoy breakfast together. There were no clear signs of exhaustion on the first and second days, which was to be expected. But when more days passed, Yasmin became agitated; still the Doctor remained her bubbly and energetic self, even though for all Yaz knew she hadn't been sleeping _at all._

 

And that was completely and utterly unacceptable.

 

So that same night, Yasmin hoped and prayed for that _thud_ to echo through the silence. One hour passed and she began to drum her fingers gently on the sheets. One hour and half and she was glaring at her night stand clock. Two hours and she was slowly losing her mind.

 

When three hours passed and still nothing, Yasmin Khan had enough.

 

She pushed the sheets and the duvet off herself and stood, marching straight towards the Doctor's room. She hesitated for a spilt second by the blue door, wondering if she should knock first; but Yaz was a woman on a mission so she reached for the doorknob and turned it, pushing the door open.

 

The sight inside made her heart melt.

 

The Doctor was laying on her bed, half covered by a fluffy rainbow patterned blanket, hair obscuring her features. Yasmin slowly approached the sleeping woman and in the dim light she could barely make out the thin wires connected to what looked awfully like an iPod; when she touched the screen, it lit up showing her the cover of a book she didn't recognize.

 

So the Time Lord had started to listen to audiobooks instead of reading them.

 

_'Mystery solved and case closed',_ she thought bitterly, resigned now to the fact that the familiar _thud_ may not be happening again _._

 

Without even thinking, Yaz gently pulled the blanket up and effectively tucked the Doctor in, going as far as reaching out to brush the unruly strands of blonde hair out of her face. She regarded the other woman warmly for a moment before she gave in and leaned to place a gentle kiss on her forehead.

 

Only when her lips came in contact with soft skin did Yasmin realize exactly what she had just done.

 

Cheeks ablaze and in total panic, she quickly turned around to exit the room, closing the door behind herself and completely missing curious hazel eyes watching her leave.

 

A grin spread across the Doctor's face then.

 

_'Yasmin Khan just kissed my forehead.'_

 

 


	12. The One Where the Doctor can't help herself and Yasmin is mortified. Or is she?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A big red button. A curious Doctor. A warning to not touch said button. What could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Silly prompt that I thought about a few hours ago and got too distracted talking about bees to finish until now. The Thasmin Discord is wild guys. 
> 
> Not beta'd as usual and I didn't really read it over like I usually do because I'm too tired. So I'm sorry for an mistakes!

**12\. The One Where the Doctor can't help herself and Yasmin is mortified. Or is she?**

 

She just _had_ to press the big red flashing button. The sign next to it, in big bold and angry letters clearly reading _Do Not Touch_ hadn't been warning enough. No, not for her. Not for the Doctor. But the boredom that came with wandering aimlessly through the alien town, while her companions shopped for supplies on the human friendly shops had _really_ got to her. So of course, when she reached a restricted area, she just had to flash her telepathic card and check it out. And of course, in her immense curiosity she just had to figure out what the big red button did.

 

The Doctor would never tell Ryan about it. He would never let her live that one down.

 

Apparently what the big red button did was starting a self destruction timer on a prized experiment that was in fact highly dangerous and volatile. And by the looks and shouts of horror among the scientists present, there was no way to stop said timer.

 

It was their fault, she conceded, for having that big flashy red button in the first place. I mean, why even make it in the first place if you don't want people to click it?

 

Sure there was an impossible-to-miss warning with it. But could have been just for show. Common mistake really. Pressing the big red button.

 

The Doctor had bolted out of the facility as fast as her legs would carry her, with very angry and totally-not-friendly aliens with guns hot on her heels. Navigating through small alleys, taking a left here and a right there, she thought that perhaps she would be able to shake her pursuers off without having to run into the busy market streets. But if the red angry beams that kept missing her were any indication, this guys were really set on catching her.

 

One thing was for sure: whatever they were doing there was unknown to their citizens and tourists alike. So chasing her through the busy places in town waving their big bad guns around would be bad for business.

 

At least she hoped it would as she took a very sharp turn and entered the marketplace.

 

Luckily, the Doctor had been right on her assumptions. As soon as they stepped foot on the busy place, the beams had immediately stopped. A few gasps of surprise were heard, followed by deep voiced _'nothing is wrong, please carry on'_ and _'no need to panic, just routine procedures'._

 

Right.

 

She navigated the sea of people with some difficulty; but so did the angry aliens. Sadly her blonde hair stood out like a sore so any attempt to mix with the crowd would not be successful at all; so she pulled the hood of her jacket up, ran a few more meters before fainting a left towards the food market but diving right last second, straight into the shopping district with all the clothes stores that Yasmin had mention she wanted to check out. The crowd was relatively more scarce but she hoped the precious few seconds she had gained would be enough to find a spot to hide until she could make her way back to the safety of her Tardis.

 

Sonic in hand, she scanned around until it pinged Yaz's location (she had given them bracelets to wear just in case they got separated or lost... or kidnapped). Immediately she entered the store where the bracelet was pinging to and made her way to the changing booths were the signal appeared to be strong.

 

Without even thinking, she pulled the curtain open.

 

A barely clothed Yasmin immediately let out a surprised yelp, immediately reaching for her jacket to cover herself with as the Doctor entered the small space and pulled the curtain shut. She barely had time to process what was going on as the Time Lord doubled down and tried to catch her breath.

 

“Long. Story. Bad. Aliens. Chasing me. Track you. Here. Legs definitely, Used to be. Longer.” She finally lifted her head to acknowledged the other woman, hair completely askew and a tin layer of sweat dotting her forehead. Her eyes widen the moment her brain registered the state of undress of her companion. “ _Oh_. Oh! I'm so sorry, Yas!”

 

The Doctor immediately straighten herself up and turned around, facing the thin white wall, cheeks turning pink. Yasmin was absolutely mortified but glad it had been the Time Lord and not some random stranger barging in the small changing booth. She was silent while she put her shirt back on, the corners of her mouth turning upwards at the endless rambling string of apologies leaving the other woman's lips. She was embarrassed, that's for sure. But the Doctor was just so adorable, with her flushed cheeks...

 

A few murmurs and heavy steps broke them both out of their reverie. Deep voices sounded through the area, asking around if anyone had seen a _'short human with golden hair'_ pass by. Yasmin immediately threw herself towards the Doctor, her right hand coming to rest on top of the woman's lips just in time to muffle her indignation about being called a _human._

 

Amazing how Yaz just _knew_ she would complain about it.

 

What she didn't account for was ending up flipping the Doctor around, pull her hood up to conceal the blonde hair and pressing herself (and her lips) to the other woman as the curtain was suddenly thrown open by possibly one of the aliens that had been searching around for the Time Lord.

 

(What she also didn't account for was for the Doctor to _actually kiss her_ _back_.)

 

Whoever was the stranger, he had immediately excused himself and hastily closed the curtain again, leaving the two woman to finally break apart and _breath._ Yasmin opened her mouth and closed it again, her mind all over the place. Her gaze was now firmly planted on the floor, the carpet suddenly the most interesting thing in the small room. She had to say something, anything at all to salvage the situation. She could have just pretended to be kissing the woman by standing in front of her. But no, she had went straight ( _Ah!)_ for it because deep inside Yasmin Khan had wanted it to happen. Maybe not there, not on some alien planet, on some booth in a clothing store.

 

But it had happened. And now her only hope was to explain it had been just an impulse to make sure they wouldn't find the Doctor, for whatever reason they were chasing her for.

 

She chanced a glance towards the other woman, only to find herself pinned against the mirror a second later, the Doctor's lips on hers.

 

Well, that simplified things at least.

 


	13. The One Where there's sea, sandcastles and hand holding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternate title: Graham is a granddad on vacation, Yasmin is a hopeless gay in love and the Doctor and Ryan are legit children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Hand holding  
> Thanks for the prompt Amy, hope you like it :* It's soft as requested! (Or I hope it is at least).
> 
> Chapter 13, what a lucky number. <3  
> A massive thanks to everyone who's been reading my stuff and leaving comments and kudos. I see you all and you make my day <3 :*
> 
> Feel free to send me prompts, either here or on my tumblr @ vi-got-cupcakes. I don't post there much but I do check it, so don't worry I will see your messages.
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy this still unbeta'd chapter and sorry for any mistakes, it's past 1 am. Again.

**13\. The One Where there's sea, sandcastles and hand holding**

 

The sun was slowly setting in the sky, bathing the area with a soft orange glow. The sand was warm beneath her feet as she strolled through the beach, sandals dangling carelessly in her right hand. She took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh scent of the sea. The place was relatively empty for a summer afternoon, save for the occasional elderly couple walking hand in hand by the water. She had chosen to visit this place in particular for the quiet it brought. Travelling with the Doctor could be a handful most of the time; the danger liked to follow them around, no matter what planet they would land on. Or century really, the entire issue with the witch hunting standing as proof of that.

 

So when her turn to pick a place came around she decided on this reclusive beach, a small slice of heavenly quiet she had stumbled upon a few summers prior during a road-trip with her family. There were no parasols or stretchers to rent and no small restaurant by the seaside, which made this place just a passageway for most. But not for Yasmin. To her this was a place to rest, to recharge and to remember those warm days her family would drive over with pick-nick baskets and blankets to enjoy a day out.

 

Graham and Ryan had been trilled by the place the moment they stepped outside the Tardis. Her heart swelled with pride as they gushed about how beautiful their surroundings were and how lucky they were for being able to see it and spend the day. The Doctor had been a tad more hesitant, eyes darting between the crystalline waters and her companions, who had downed more fitting outfits to match the temperature and the local. Both men were wearing shorts, Ryan just simply sporting a comfortable t-shirt, while Graham had went all out with a ridiculous looking Hawaiian shirt. Yasmin was wearing a lovely red summer dress that hugged her figure quite nicely, the strings of what could possibly be a bikini top neatly tied behind her neck.

 

She had immediately realized what was causing the Time Lord to act so skittish and refusing to set foot outside the Tardis. So while the boys argued about Graham's choice of shirt, she had leaned against the side of the old police box, eyes lost somewhere in the blue sea. She spoke in a soft voice, reassuring the Doctor that it was okay, that she didn't have to change just because they had done so and that she should just enjoy herself. Even if the other woman still looked a bit unsure when their eyes met, a warm smile by Yasmin had done the trick.

 

Not even a minute later the Time Lord was rushing out of the Tardis, two small colourful plastic buckets with matching tiny plastic shovels in her hands. Yasmin had watched in amusement as the woman shoved one of the buckets she was holding into Ryan's hands and proclaimed he was was to help her build the most _'brilliant'_ sand castle ever seen. The most hilarious thing about the whole exchange had been him actually agreeing to it and looking just as excited as the Doctor. Yasmin couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips as she stood by Graham, both watching with unabashed amusement as the other two began intensely arguing about what would be the best spot for their project. Even the Sonic Screwdriver had made an appearance at some point to aid their search; that's how serious they were taking their idea.

 

Two Tardis blue blankets had been laid down by Yaz and Graham, a fairly sized parasol the same colour sticking out in the sand between it for some shade. The cooling box filled with water bottles and some colourful fizzing drinks and some cocktails was placed underneath it, along with another box full of wrapped sandwiches, packed salads and some fruits. Graham immediately had made himself comfortable under the shade, his back resting against a low beach chair with rainbow stripes on it. He'd poured himself a colourful cocktail on a tall glass and Yasmin had let out a snort when she noticed the tiny umbrella and straw he had pulled seemingly out of nowhere.

 

While they had been busy, Ryan and the Doctor had finally settled for a spot to build their sand castle. They were standing not too far from where Yasmin sat on the soft blanket, kneeling in the warm sand on opposite sides from what she could just assume was the base for their project. It had started as a rectangular elevated sand platform, Ryan and the Time Lord taking turns in rushing to the sea side to fill their buckets with cool, crystalline water. Somewhere between their small trips, the Doctor had walked over to Yaz to drop her coat, socks and shoes. Her face had lighten up, a warm smile in her lips as toes dug into the warm, soft sand. Yasmin couldn't help but mirror the motion, her own toes digging into the sand as she smiled back.

 

They held each other's gazes for what felt like an eternity, heart beating unsteady in her chest. The other woman's face suddenly had became serious, her eyes flashing with different emotions at once; but before Yaz could even ask about it, Ryan had called the Doctor over with a jesting, _'if you're done flirting, Doctor, I need a hand with this tower'._ She had opened her mouth and closed it almost immediately, looking throughout embarrassed for a split second before that bubbly expression was back to her features and she had skipped over to where he was standing, leaving a very confused Yasmin behind.

 

She could have sworn the Time Lord's cheeks had pinked slightly and the sun hadn't caused it. And when she had turned to look at Graham, she saw a knowing smile plastered on his face as he sipped on his fourth colourful cocktail of the day, his eyes obscured by those ridiculous glasses the Doctor had lent him when they had ended on Desolation.

 

Letting out a scoff, she had turned her attention back to the Doctor as she fixed the crumbling sand tower with experienced precision, shaping and sculpting it with gentle and careful fingers. The finished product made Ryan let out a surprised gasp, his eyes ridiculously wide at just how precise their first tower looked like. That was when the Time Lord had launched on a ridiculous rant about how she had to build a full scale sand castle once to save some alien planet, her gaze flickering towards Yasmin once in a while as she happily recounted the tale.

 

The rest of the day had passed in a blur. Graham had dozed off multiple times, only waking up to tilt the parasol when the sun would hit his face or when he got the munchies for an egg sandwich. Ryan and the Doctor worked tirelessly on their project, taking small breaks here and there to grab food and drink or to collect some beautiful seashells for their castle. Yaz had alternated between lying lazily under the sun and dipping her feet in the cool sea water, just content to have them soaking as she listened to some old summer playlist she had made ages ago on her phone, the songs reminding her of those happy, carefree days spent with her family.

 

More than once she felt the Doctor's gaze on her and she was sure the other woman could feel her eyes lingering on her form as well; a small dance of stolen glances and small knowing smiles in this place that was just theirs.

 

Well, not exactly _all_ theirs, not when Graham and Ryan were also present. But one day, she thought, one day it could be.

 

Wishful thinking.

 

That particular thought had been the cause of her wandering off by herself when the sun had started to set. No one asked and no one followed as she stood and announced she was going for walk by the sea side, Graham still enjoying his nap time while the other two were still focused on the most elaborated sand castle Yasmin had ever seen. She was thankful for the alone time so she could put her thoughts in order when she came to the conclusion that the ridiculous little crush she had on the Doctor was not so little any more.

 

She heard soft steps behind her and didn't even have to turn around to know who it was, the soft breeze carrying the familiar scent of motor oil and earl grey that was so _hers._ Yasmin instantly slowed down, falling in step with the Doctor so they could walk side by side. The sun was just above the water when she chanced a glance at the other woman, finding hazel eyes peering at her with such warmth and _love_. She wasn't wearing her coat still, looking so relaxed and carefree in the low sunlight as they walked towards the unknown. Yaz had never been to this particular place, both physically and metaphorically speaking; but she didn't care, not when the best person she'd ever met was walking the same path alongside her _this_ close, fingers and shoulders occasionally brushing.

 

The sunlight had dimmed considerably, only half of the sun still not obscured by the never-ending sea, when she felt a timid touch to her palm. The Doctor was looking at her, expression unreadable. But her eyes were clear and sharp and expectantly even in this light, drawing Yasmin right in.

Another timid touch; she was clearly asking for permission. And Yaz willingly gave it, gently interlocking their fingers together, marvelling at just how nicely they seemed to fit. They shared a knowing look and smile; a warm feeling immediately spreading from her chest to her stomach as the metaphoric butterflies took flight.

 

No words were spoken, not even when halfway through the path both had decided to turn around and head back to the Tardis at the same time, still holding hands. And that's when Yasmin knew that even though the Doctor liked to ramble so much, it was the silence between them that always ended up speaking volumes.

 

 

 


	14. The One Where there's a first kiss (and almost something more)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One hell of an intense first kiss happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one... where do I even start explaining this...  
> It was supposed to be a standalone fiction on its own but it was quickly going places that I didn't want it to go (I don't write smut) so I cut it short and decided to just post it as it is to tease my thirsty friend (Hi Kat, love you too <3).
> 
> Next chapter is next part of the telepathic touch fic from the chapter before as promised so keep an eye out for it. For now I hope this is somewhat enjoyable. :)

 

**14\. The One Where there's a first kiss (and almost something more)**

 

The Tardis hummed quietly around them, the console room dimmed lights shrouding their forms in near darkness. Yasmin wasn't even sure when it had happened, when this sentient time machine had decided _she_ needed to play a part in this thing that was going on between the Doctor and herself; but watching this amazing woman in the low light, her expression so soft and loving... It felt like a privilege to see her like this. And it truly was, she remarked as she took a step closer, her own feet carrying her towards those magnetizing hazel eyes she would never get tired of looking into. It was silly really, all the planets, stars and constellations out there and those eyes were her favourite sight. They held so much within the swirling pools of green and gold that Yaz sometimes felt like she was going to drown if she dared to look within for too long, breath lost within the whirlwind of emotions she found there.

 

There was a part of her brain that longed for contact but she dared not to move, not when the Time Lord was looking at her with such intensity that she felt completely and utterly exposed. It was like all the secrets that she didn't even know she held, all those tiny details drafted in the corners of her soul were being read and scrutinized all at once; it felt incredibly overwhelming but she couldn't look away, too afraid to ruin whatever was going on at that moment. Silence stretched for what felt like an eternity, Yasmin suddenly feeling very glad that the other two occupants of the Tardis had turned in earlier than usual and didn't have an history of wandering around the long halls at night like she did. It was bad enough Ryan kept making remarks, his eyes always sparkling with mirth when the Doctor would absently reach for or touch her hand and when Yaz herself would be the one reaching for hers; had he walked in on them like this... She wouldn't hear the end of it, she was positively sure of it.

 

She was brought back from her thoughts only to find the Doctor looking at her expectantly, a nervous look in her eyes; Yasmin was about to open her mouth and ask what was wrong when she noticed the hand outstretched towards her, palm facing up in clear invitation. She felt her own nerves taking hold of her then, heart pounding in her chest as her hands became clammy with sweat. Yes, they had held hands so many times before but this? This felt different and more intimate. The Time Lord was clearly inviting her to cross that threshold they had been tiptoeing around, into a space she hadn't been allowed to occupy. This was Yasmin being allowed to stand _with_ the Doctor, not just next to her.

 

The thought itself was enough to make her feel dizzy but she couldn't nor wouldn't falter now, not when the other woman clearly thought she had misread the situation, a flash of something akin of rejection showing across her features, her outstretched hand slowly retracting back; but before it could lay limp at the Doctor's side, Yaz reached for it with her own, halting the movement. She seemed taken aback for a moment, eyes wide and searching her own for answers and certainties because this was it, this was the defying moment that would change their lives forever.

 

 _'Be sure'_ , she felt the Time Lord saying it without the words leaving her lips.

 

 _'Sure',_ she felt herself echoing as she laced their fingers together, marvelling at how nice they fit together, like two pieces of the same puzzle.

 

Her thoughts were cut short when she was gently tugged closer, her feet finally crossing that invisible line that had been drawn between them. Yaz found herself nearly flushed against the Doctor, taking in the warmth of her body, the beating of the two hearts just as erratic as her own against her chest, the ghost of a breath against her lips... It felt like too much, all at once, her senses overloaded with everything that was the other woman. She had to regretfully close her eyes for a moment, willing her thoughts to slow down. Her nerves were clearly getting the best of her, if the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach was any indication of it. Why was she even so nervous? This was what she had been yearning for in so long and now...

 

She felt herself tremble against the other woman as her legs threatened to buckle from underneath her when a warm hand gently touched her cheek; it was embarrassing really, the Doctor had barely even touched her and she was already so numb with feel.

 

Yasmin let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding when she felt the Time Lord's thumb gently stroking her skin in a soothing motion. Her own free hand, which had been limply laying at her side up until that point, shot up to find purchase in the Doctor's coat, gripping the surprisingly soft material tight. A moment passed and she felt the other woman shift ever so slightly; a featherweight kiss was then placed on the beginning of her hairline before their foreheads were pressed together, noses touching.

 

She felt every puff of breath against her lips as the Doctor whispered soft reassurances, her thumb still stroking her skin. Yaz felt herself relax almost instantly, her grip on the coat going a bit slack as she breathed in the familiar scent of earl grey and motor oil, along with the sweetness that coated the other woman's breath, no doubt from all the custard creams she had been consuming all evening.

 

And that was the exact point when the jumble of thoughts were replaced by a single one and she suddenly felt the urge to kiss this amazing woman.

 

Tentatively, bit by bit, she tried to convey the signs to let the Doctor know what she was about to do, making sure both were on the same page for what was coming next. It started with a gentle nuzzle to get her attention; when the thumb on her cheek halted its movements she slowly tilted her head and then paused, daring herself to open her eyes for a fleeting moment to finally take in the sight of the other woman's face from up close.

 

She was not prepared at all for the sight that greeted her.

 

The Time Lord was peering at her through heavy eyelids, cheeks somewhat redden, lips slightly parted. There was something in the way she was looking at her, something in her gaze so primal and raw that had Yaz shivering on the spot, even though she was far from being cold. Their lips met not even a second later and she is not even sure who kissed who, the literal sparks and fireworks exploding behind her closed eyes along with the feeling of surprisingly soft lips against her own proving to be too much of a distraction for her to even be able to register anything else or even formulate thoughts.

 

After that is all just a blur of fleeting touches and the feel of soft skin against her fingertips as they drink in on one another. It's only when her back hits the console panel and she flinches that they both spring apart, embarrassingly trying to catch their breaths. Their fingers are still laced together so the Doctor pulls their hands closer to her face so she can drop a gentle kiss on Yasmin's fingers, muttering a quiet _'sorry'_ against the skin there. She just ends up tugging the other woman closer in reply, a lazy smile across her bruised lips as they press their foreheads together again; the Time Lord's free arm immediately wraps around her waist then and she can't help but mirroring the motion, content to hold and be held like this.

 

And that was the precise moment, safe in the other woman's arms, that Yasmin Khan vowed to take on the entire universe if needed for the most amazing person she'd ever met.

 


	15. The One Where minds (and hearts) are open I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor makes a small mistake. Yasmin has questions that go unanswered. But for how long? (Part 1/3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late night musings about telepathic touch and here we are! This one is in three parts so keep an eye out for the next update.  
> I'm sorry if this one is a bit too short, I'll give my best to make the next part better and hopefully longer. But I do hope this one is at least a bit enjoyable? 
> 
> Not beta'd and it's really late so any mistakes are my own.
> 
> (Chapter order updated to accommodate the three parts)

**15\. The One Where minds (and hearts) are open I**

 

The first time it happens, it's by pure accident. The Doctor is tired and weary after their last adventure, fingers absently treading through Yasmin's soft hair as they sit together on the purple couch that had materialized on the Tardis, somehow. Ryan is sitting on the floor, back resting against the couch, dark eyes glancing every now and then to the sleeping figure behind him. Graham is sitting on the armchair nearby, pretending to be engrossed by the old classic film playing on the telly; but the Time Lord can feel his eyes drifting towards the couch when he thinks no one is watching. She doesn't even need to look at him to know he's wearing the same expression they all are; all but the woman peacefully asleep with her head resting on the Doctor's lap.

 

The feeling of guilt churning deep in her stomach made itself known once more when she ended up making eye contact with Ryan, his cheeks still marred with the hot tears he had spilled that day. His cries still echoed through her ears even though hours had passed, the frightened young man she had seen standing over his friend like he had stood over his nan months before still so terrified of loss. She averted her gaze quickly and swallowed her own tears, too proud to let her companions seeing her break down a second time; she focused on her fingers instead, focused on the steady pulse and warmth that emanated from the woman on her lap.

 

She so very much alive and it makes the Doctor almost want to sob with relief.

 

Minutes, maybe hours fly by and she doesn't remember feeling her eyelids getting heavy, doesn't remember her eyes closing on their own accord. But they do and she falls asleep with her palm gently resting on top of Yaz's head.

 

And that's when it happens.

 

Faint echoes of a life that is not her own flood into her mind like a tidal wave, full of faces and smells and places she doesn't recognize. She feels the happiness, the hurt, the heartbreak; feels every single emotion flowing through her veins like it's her own. She sees the looks of distrust aimed at her but at the same time she knows it's not her they are doubting; no, that much becomes clear when one name that she can now put a face to makes itself noticeable: Izzy Flint.

 

She had somehow managed to get inside Yasmin Khan's brilliant mind.

 

The realization was enough to make the Time Lord jolt herself awake, but not before she had seen herself through Yaz's eyes and felt every heart flutter she had ever caused; all the adoration and warmth and...

 

Her eyes snapped open to a dim lighted room. Taking a long and deep breath, the Doctor willed her hearts to slow down to a more steady rhythm as she tried to sort the tangled mess of thoughts and feelings going through her mind. A quick glance to her right and she found the armchair empty; same with the spot next to the couch where Ryan had sat. It eased her to know that at least they hadn't been there to witness her slip up; she could barely dare to imagine how they would react if they knew she was touch telepathic.

 

The thing she didn't account for, when she finally looked down at her lap, was the startled pair of brown eyes she found peering at her.

 

Her mouth opened and closed a few times as her brain went through the four stages of panic: slight panic, mild panic, panic and internal screaming. Yasmin just watched on as hazel eyes moved from her to glance at everything else but her; it took a while before the other woman finally met her gaze again, jaw painfully set now.

 

“I'm so sorry I woke you up, Yaz. I didn't realize I had fallen asleep.” She rubbed at her face, clearly frustrated. “I should have been keeping an eye on you instead of dozing off.”

 

“It's fine, you just startled me a bit. Were you having a nightmare of sorts? You were muttering something in your sleep before you kind of... jolted yourself awake.”

 

Her question was deflected. “How are you feeling? Do I need to get you some more painkillers? I'm not sure how much time has passed since you had some... Are you hungry? I'm sure I can get you something from the kitchen, there may still be some soup we can warm up-”

 

A soft hand reached up to touch her cheek then, cutting her rant short. Still reeling from what she had done, she instantly flinched at the tentative touch; Yaz immediately retracted her hand, a look of hurt flashing in her eyes making the Doctor feeling even more guilt than before.

 

“I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-”

 

She shook her head and lowered her own hand into soft tresses, fingers threading through dark hair again. “No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to react like that. I guess I'm just tired, that's all.” The Time Lord murmured, gaze softening as she noticed the other woman closing her eyes, a small smile gracing her lips. “Wouldn't you be more comfortable laying in your bed? Can't be good for your body to lay here on the couch.”

 

“I'm fine like this.” A pause. “Unless you're bored or stiff? I know you hate sitting still for too long. If that's the case I can just go to bed?”

 

Yasmin opened her eyes again then and made to lift herself off the couch, but didn't get too far before warm hands halted her movements and eased her back down. Hair was carefully brushed off her face and tugged behind her ears, hazel eyes shining with such care and adoration in the low light. The blanket that had been laid on her was fixed so it covered her shoulders, fingers going back to thread though her loose tresses once more.

 

It surprised them both when the Doctor started to hum a soft melody out of the blue, one that Yaz hadn't heard since she was a small child sitting on her nani's lap.

 

She had so many questions on her mind then, so many _what if's_ just swimming together at the tip of her tongue; but there was something, among everything else that gave her pause. It wasn't the fact the Doctor had been sleeping, wasn't the fact that the woman had a nightmare; wasn't even because she had suddenly flinched away from Yaz's touch yet was keeping her close. It wasn't the fingers on her hair or this unwavering feeling of loneliness that was threatening to consume her whole; and it truly wasn't about the fact she nearly had died a few hours prior.

 

All that and yet it was that melody, the same one being lovingly hummed at her now by the woman she had come to love that occupied her mind until she fell into a blissful sleep.

 

Oddly enough, she had just been dreaming about it after all.

 


End file.
